The Scottish Government

« Previous | Contents | Next »

Listen

Better Behaviour in Scottish Schools: Policy Update 2004

Foreword

Peter Peacock
Minister for Education and Young People

In January of this year I expressed my concern that the information I had on indiscipline in schools was not sufficiently robust to tell me what is really happening in Scottish schools. I asked a review group with independent advisors to report to me on the best way to gather the evidence required to inform effective policy making.

The review group consulted a range of stakeholders concerned with education in Scotland. In light of their findings ¹, I have decided to ensure that a wider range of evidence is gathered.

I have decided we will:

• Publish Professor Munn's study on perceptions of teachers and others about behaviour.
• Institute regular major surveys of teachers' and pupils' experiences and perceptions of behaviour and discipline in schools, on a three-yearly basis starting in 2005. This will cover a wide range of behaviour and discipline issues, and will look at the nature and prevalence of indiscipline; it will explore the reasons for changes and examine what is effective in preventing and responding to indiscipline;
• Involve stakeholders closely in the design and conduct of the survey;
• Continue to take forward a programme of research into 'what works' in promoting good behaviour, both in policy and in practice;
• Continue to participate in international studies which provide useful comparative data;
• On the same cycle as the new survey, we will develop and publish a discipline report providing a robust and comprehensive picture of behaviour in Scottish schools. This will be based primarily on the findings of the survey, but will draw in other available information, including NP and HMIE reports, and any other information which the survey may not be fully able to capture.

We expect local authorities to maintain and develop robust arrangements for monitoring incidents against their staff and pupils, to enable them to fulfil their responsibilities for managing the delivery of an education service and as employers of staff. I will issue guidance to help this process.

We will discontinue the current annual national collection on incidents of violence and anti-social behaviour against staff which is insufficiently robust.

This Policy Update draws on evidence from a range of surveys, including a survey conducted in 2004 that was previously conducted in 1990 and 1996. This information presents continuing challenges as schools reflect wider societal changes in behaviours. Teachers' perceptions also reflect these changes. I will not shy away from the challenges this information presents. There is strong evidence that the direction of current policy on promoting positive behaviour is the right one, but wherever we need to do more, we will. Part of this must be to raise the level of positive behaviour in our classrooms. We must do more to tackle pupil on pupil aggression, and we must continue to support innovation in education authorities in a way that spreads new ideas around Scotland for the benefit of all.

All stakeholders in education, including parents, have a role to play in delivering better behaviour to secure better learning. I look forward to working with stakeholders to use this data to help drive further improvement.

PETER J PEACOCK

« Previous | Contents | Next »